Welt-knitting machine.



F. B. WiLDMAN & G. L. BALLARD.

WELT Kmmm; MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-28. \91 I.

1 ,140,783. Patented May 25, 1915.

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F. B. WILDMAN 6L G. L. BALLARD.

WELT KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2B,1911. 1,140,783. Patented May 1915.

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Z 7 72,992 cm/M g f ,To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. WILDMAZN AND GEDBGEE L. Banana, 'ezrnonars'nowx, nnNNsrLvaNna, I

ASSIGNOBS T0 WILDMAN MFG. 130., OF NQRRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A

ON or PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicatton filed September -28, 1911. Serial 110. 851,818.

Be it known that we, FRANK B.. WILmaAN and GEORGE L. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States, and a subject of the King of Great Britain, respectively, and residents'of Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Welt-KnittingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that type of. latch needle rib knitting machine designed to produce tubular welts, and in which a single main thread is used, and an additional thread is thrown in when the welt is to be formed.

In carrying eat our invention, we throw the additional thread into the cylinder needles instead of into the dial needles, thus overcoming certain mechanical (lifiieulties and causing the additional thread to appear on the face or outside of the fabric, this thread being at the choice of the'operator of a different color or of different material from the body ofithe fabric.

Some of'the meeh' ical features and connections disclosed herein-are like those shown in an application for Letters Patent mentioned."

of the United some #623,261, April as,

1911, patented Dec. 17, 1912, No. 1,047,355,.

and in certain Letters Patent hereinafter In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view ofa knitting machine of the VVildman -typeeiiihodying our invention;

- Fig. 2 is 'a side view of a knitting head with the feed mechanism for the additional clamping mechanism for the thread looking from the left of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 isa bottom plan view of he cutting and clamping-devices; Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the cylinder cam posts.

The main thread is fed to the needles by a guide 1 of usual construction, and the additional thread to form the outer wall of the tubular welt is fed through a guide 2 diametrically opposite the main guide and consisting of. an arm pivoted at 3 to a ig. 4 isv bracket 4, said am being perated to and" from the needles to present the thread there- Pmteam 2a1a15-. Q

to or remove it therefrom by means similar in some respects to that disclosed in Letters". Patento'f the United States granted to J. B; Hipwell, #815,167, March 13, 1906, and, consisting generally of a star wheelfi which, when operated by contact with a device on the frame, operates through gearing 6' and v guide arm or to allow it to fall under the action of the spring 'a cam shaft 7 to raise the lever or thread V. 8. At 9 is shown acut-f ting device for the additionalthread, which is operatedto sever it when the guide arm I is raised, and at 10 is a clamp for. holding the severed end of the thread so that when the guide arm is again lowered the th 5 will .be presented totheneedles, the clamp insurin proper control of the thread until the ne for operating the cutter and clamp. will .be referred to briefly hereinaftc The star wheel 5 of feeder is operated by contact with a pin 11 carried by a plate 12' which is adjusted vertically into and out of line with the star wheel by suitable pattern mechanism, .(not shown).

One movement of the star wheel will throw the guide arm 2 up and the next action of the star wheel will. permit the guide arm to fall to present the thread to the cylinder needles.

les havetaken. it. The mechanism.

1- be additional thread The cams of the dial comprise a stitch it oam'12f andanvadvancing cam 13, and this latter may be of the form-known. as a. wing cam; or a camsmay be shghyasis dig closed in Letters Patentof the-Eni'ted States granted;tQ,-5, Wil'dman', tember ,Ztiylilflfi, and, carried y a two-part dialcap. a pivoted cam is illustrated arm 19 fixed to vsaidshaft andby'a second;

arm 20 on a shaft 21 geared to the shaft first mentioned, as is well known in this type ofmachine, these arms being at difi'erent ele- 9.5. at 131 ivoted; 14, andv adjusted by apin. S

sl dt" connection at, 15, when the lower vations and striking a pattern disk 22, the stem of which is mounted to move vertically in the fixed ring of the machine under the control of pattern mechanism which moves a stitch cam b for the main feed, and a cam 0 and cam (1 serving as clearing course cams, when the'cylinder needles are to be cleared of their stitches, a-nd' as advancing and stitch cams for the additional feed when this is thrown in. The means for operating these cams will be described later.

The figure (3) shows the relation of the main and additional feeds and the clamp and cutter for the latter, to the said cams, and Fig. 1 shows the relation of the feeds to the single set of cams in the dial. The cam box or cylinder moves in the direction of the arrow X in Figs. 1 and 3, and there fore the needles in effect move along the cam path in the direction of the arrow 3;.

With the cams in the position shown, and with the dial cams in normal position of Fig. 1, plain rib fabric will be produced, the thread being taken from the single main thread guide 1 while the additional thread for the outside welt of the tubular welt is held out of action by its ide 2, and with its end clamped at 10. avin the rib fabric and having, if desired, thrown in a loose course by depressing the stitch cam b of the cylinder, the firstactionthat takes place is the throwing inwardly or retracting of the pivoted cam 13 of. the dial to allow the dial needles to sim 11 hold their loops while the cylinder nee les knit,

say, two courses of welt fabric to prevent' the work from raveling back when the clearing course is thrown in. After this the wing cam, if such be used, or the pivoted cam 13 is thrown outwardly to normal position for advancing the dial needles for taking the yarn. again. 'During these actions the cam 0 is inactive. 1

After the c linderwelt courses havebee n knitted and t e dial cam is restored to normal position as just mentioned, the cam a is raised from its inactive position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, to thatshown in dotted lines. The cylinder: needles are now advanced by this cam 50 that-their loopsget back of their latches, and as no thread is fed at this point (the thread guide 2, for the additional thread being held up), the cylinder needles, when retracted by the cam d, will shed their loops to form the clearing course. The cam d in the position shown in full lines is low enough toshed the loops for this clearing or dividing/course.

The cylinder needles are new empty on completed this revolution of the cams until they are operated by the cam a, when they advance and take thread from the main carrier at 1, the dial needles also take the thread from the carrier '1 at this time.' Not havin any old loops, however, no stitches are pro uced by the cylinder needles when they are lowered by the stitch cam b, but they simply hold this main thread to form the dividing course, said main thread also servin as a foundation for the welt when the additional thread is thrown in. The c linder needles having received this foundation thread, they are next acted on by the cam a at the next revolution of the machine, and the cam d, the guide 2 of the ad 'tional thread, however, havin first been thrown down to present the a ditional thread to the cylinderneedles which advance to take it by theaction of the .cam a which has already been advanced, as described. The needles then are immediatelylowered bythe cam d, thus forming stitches at this point in the circuit of the machine, where there are no corresponding stitch and retracting cams in the dial so that plain fabric to form the outer wall of the welt will be formed here on the cylinder needles.

Before the cylinder needles againarrive at, or ratherbefore being acted on again by the cam a in this revolution of the machine,

and after the action above describedhas, taken place of taking thread from the addis.v

tional feeder to form the outer wall of the welt, the said cam a is lowered and the c linder needles are prevented 'from ta ing thread from the main thread guide and thereforeat this feed only'the dial needles will take the thread, thus producing the iiiner wall of the tubular welt on' this side of the machine, while the outer wall of said welt willbe produced at the opposite side of der needle 'i'n'said wall. Withthe cam in the position shown in full.line',"the eyli'n-v der needles are retracted far enoughto castiflm off their stitches for the cleaiing pourseg When,'however, the additional thread/is thrown in, the cam d is simultaneously low; ered to draw suflicient yarn to make stitches. This lowering of the cam d at the time the additional thread is thrown into the cylinder needles is effected by a cam 7" on the} shaft of the additional thread feeder acting on a lever 23 connected with a rock shaft: 24 mounted on the frameor bracket of the ad ditional thread feeder, said shaft having an arm 24' overlying the stem of the cam (Z so that it will press the same down at the time the additional thread is thrown in to draw enough yarn to form a stitch. This cam post, as also the posts of the cams c, a. b, are spring pressed, the springs of 0 and a pressing the cams ddwn. while the. springs of cams d and 7) press them upwardly When the tubular welt is to be termiimted and rib knitting, resumed. the first action that takes place is the dropping of the cam 0 out of action and at the point where the last cylinder needle that has cleariul its latch passes the additional thread guide said thread is withdrawn by the raising of the guide and the thread is cut and clamped. The advancing cam abeing now raised from its inactive position. the cylinder needles take the thrxad from the. main thread guide 1., and rib knitting starts from this point.

Any desired number of courses can be knit when the machine is making the outer and inner walls of the welt. these being formed independently. the outer wall on the cylinder needles and the inner w all on the dial needles.

It will be observed that after the cum 0 is raised for clearing, it remains up to serve as an advancing 'am for the cylinder needles during the "formation. of the outer wall of the welt thereon. The cum w is operated by a cam disk 24* acting on an arm or pin 25 extending from the post 0* of the cam c. the said cam disk being fixed to hollow shaft 26, which is operated to lift the pin 25 and post 5* by an arm 27 striking and being moved by the pattern disk. said arm being on a shaft geared to the hollow sbal't 2&3, and the cam being turned the other way to remove its incline or cam surface from beneath the pin by an arm 2 fixed to the hollow shalt striking the pattern disk 15;. The stitch cam b is operated for the slack or loose course by an arm 25!) ixeo' to the shalt 30 which passes down through thrhollow shaft 26. and has on its lower end a projection til entering a notch 55; in a ri 316 w hich encircles the knitting head and o1; the other side of the machine is operated from the arms 34. 35 on a shaft Alp. illtl the return arm 25? on a shaft 38 geared to the shaft 36. the shaft 38 having a projection ls) c uerir a lrccss in the rings. the arms ti l. Iii being arrarged to e struck and w; a i

the pattern disk 18:2 when th is li tcd into the plane thereof by Lli'. pattern mechanism.

The arm 21/ has Sihh ll: id 1: on. in lines on a plate ll smeared to lfzc p: oi" the cam 1').toprcss the sa d iHlli doc n wardlv to dill'czentpositions for Iin 2-1: and slack course.

The car; is operated in a lllil llhi spoi t lb l ii ed in the applicathtm oi ii dit man d above described to give the cam a step by step downward movement. The post a of said cam has a pin 42 hearing on the incline 43 of a cam disk 41 on a shaft 45 which has an arm l t) to be operated by contact with the pattern disk 22, and when so struck the cum or incline is removed from under the pin and the cam post moves'down under the action of its spring and until it is caught by a catch lever 47 which engages a notch 52, Fig. 7. in the side of the post. This cfl'ects the first step in the downward moi ement oi the cam. and the second step is ellccted by the arm 48 of the catch lever striking the disk 22 and moving it into the position shown. 1'. (1.. to release the post a. and allow the spring thereof to force it all the way down. This catch lever is pressed by a spring, 419. The shaft of the 'am disk 4% is geared to a shaft 50 of an arm 51 in a lower plane than the arm 46 and this. when it strikes the dis 22 (the latter having been adjusted to the proper height), will turn the cam disk H and raise the cam post a and the cam 11.. The post has a notch at 522, Fig. 7, with a beveled wall. The catch 47 engages this to hold the cam a in its in ierinediatc position. When the post is raised from its low position the catch will move into the notch. but because of the incline the post can move on up to its high position.

Reverting to the thread cutting and cl am p ing means: the cutter comprises the fixed blade and a movable blade 9 pivoted at S)" to a bracket 9". The movable blade is pressed open by a spring 9, and it is closed to sever the yarn by a rod 9 slidably mounted in the frame of the thread feeder, and acted on b v the lever or arm 1 pivoted to the frame of the feed attachment at 9, its Free end being in position to be operated by contact with the pin 11 which is raised and lowered by pattern mechanism. hen the arm 3 is swung inwardly by striking the pin. the shear blade 9 will operate in conjunction with the fixed blade to sever the yarn. and the clamping blade 10 which moves with the blade 9 will engage and clamp the yarn upon the upper surface of the fixed blade over which the clamping plate moves it. projecting, as shown in Fig. 3. slightly beyond the edge of the movable blade. This clamping plate is held by a pin :33 to the mo able blade of the cutter to move therewith. but it is formed of a thin plate. and being held di e n on the shear blade by the spring 9, u will properly perform its clamping funchon. When the rod 1)" is moved inwardly and the Jirac and clamp closed to cut and ld 1hriiai ad. the said parts will he held si po ition bv the frictional engagemuu oi a detent lever M pivoted to the frame and pressed by a spring 55. this spring being srliicient to overcome the tendency of the spring 9 to open the shear blade and clamp. When, however, the thread guide arm 2 is thrown down to introduce the additional thread to the cylinder needles, the detent lever 54 will be operated by one of the pins 56 on the end of the cam shaft which controls the guide arm 2, and the lever 23*24, and said detent lever will release the rod 9 and the shears and clamp will then be opened and the thread now taken by the cylinder needles. The additional thread 2 passes under a guide finger 57, and thence to the guide arm 2, and by this the necessary amount of slack is Dtovided.

We have described various above features as examples of what may be employed in carrying out our invention. Some of these features we do not claim herein; some may be altered and still come within the scope of our invention as defined by the scope of the ap ended claims.

t will be observed that by throwing the additional thread into the cylinder needles a striping effect on the fabric may .be secured because the outside wall of the welt may be knit in any desired color or material.

We claim as our invention:

1. A latchneedle knitting machine having a single main thread feed, the combine tion of the dial needles having their hooks directed radially outward, cylinder needles, means for feeding a single main thread, means for making a rib fabric from said single thread comprising cams in the eylin der and dial, cams in the cylinder for knitting from an additional thread to make the outer Wfill of the welt, an additional thread.

feed, means for operating the same to feed the thread to the cylinder needles, and means for adjusting the cams, first mentioned, of the cylinder to form the inner wall of the welt on the dial needles.

2. In a latch needle rib knitting machine, dial needles,rcylinder needles, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, a sin 1e stitch cam and a single advancing cam or the dial needles, means for adjusting the advancing cam for welting on the cylinder needles, a stitch cam and an advancing cam for the cylinder needles, a second advancing and a second retractin cam for the cylinder needles, said secon advancing cam being normally depressed during rib knitting with the main thread, means for advancing said cam for clearing the cylinder needles, while the first advancing cam remains in operative position to cause the cleared cylinder needles to take the thread, means for then lowering the first advancing cam for the formation ofthe welt on the dial needles with the main thread, means for operating the additional feed for presenting the additional thread to the cylinder needles at the clearing course cam. said clearing course cam causing the cylinder needles to tanc the thread from the additional feed for the formation of the outer wall of the welt on the cylinder needles, and means for giving the first and second advancing cylinder cams their independent automatic adjustment, substantially as described.

3. In a latch needle rib knitting machine,

dial needles, c 'linder needles, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, a stitch cam and an advancing cam for the dial needles, a stitch cam and an advancing cam for the cylinder needles, a second advancing and a second retracting cam for the cylinder needles, said second advancing cam being normally depressed during rib knitting with the main thread, and said second retracting cam being normally above its stitch forming position, means for advancing said second advancing cam for clearing the cylinder needles in conjunction with said second retracting cam, means for lowering the first advancing cam for the formation of the Welt on the dial needles With the main thread, means for operating the additional feed for presenting the additional thread to the cylinder needles at the clearing course cam, said clearing course cam causing the cylinder needles to take the thread from the additional feed for the formation of the outer wall of the welt on the cylinder needles, and means for depressing the second retracting cam from its clearing position to draw stitches from the additional thread on said cylinder needles.

4. In a latch needle rib knitting machine, dial needles, cylinder needles, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed normally inactive, an advancing cam and a stitch cam for the dial, an advancing cam and a stitch cam for the cylinder needles at the main feed, a second advancing cam and a second retracting cam for the cylinder needles at the additional thread feed, means for advancing the second advancing cam for clearing the cylinder needles, which are then advanced by the first advancing cam to take on a foundation thread for the outer wall of the welt at the main feed, means for presenting the additional thread to the cylinder needles, said cylinder needles being advanced, and retracted at the second cams to form stitches fron the additional thread for the outer wall of the welt, means for depressing the first advancing cam for the formation of the welt on the dial. needles, and means for giving the first and second advancing cams of the cylinder their adjustments independently, substantially as described.

5. in a latch nrcdle rib knitting machine, dial needles. cylinder needles. a. main thread feed, and additional thread feed, a stitch cam and an ad vancing cam in each cam carrier, 8. second advancing and retracting cam in one cam carrier normally inactive, said set of cams serving both for clearing the needles operated thereby and for formation of stitches on said needles for one wall of' the welt, means for throwing in the additional thread feed after the clearing action,

means for placing the first advancing cam course cam, an additional thread feed,

means for operating the advancing cam to 'thread feed normally take the additional thread, means for operating the additional thread feed to present the thread to or remove it from the needles, and means for simultaneously depressing the retracting cam for drawing stitches from said additional thread.

i 7L In combination in a knitting machine, a dial, a cylinder, needles, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, means for knitting rib fabric with the main thread or a plain fabric with said main thread on the dial needles, means for knitting a plain fabric on the cylinder needles with the additional thread, means for presenting the additional thread to or removing it from the cylinder needles, and means for operating one of the cylinder cams for drawing stitches from said additional thread when the said thread is presented to the needles, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a latch needle rib knitting machine, dial needles, cylinder needles, :1 main thread feed, an additional inactive, an advancing cam and a stitch cam for the dial, an advancing cam and a stitch cam for the cylinder needles at the main feed, a second advancing cam and a second retracting cam for the cylinder needles at the additional feed, said second retracting cam being normally in position to clear the needles andthe second advancing cam being normally retracted to prevent advancing the needles for clearing, means for advancing said second advancing cam to act in conjunction with the normally positioned second retracting cam for clearing the cylinder needles which are then advanced by the first advancing cam at the main feed to take on a foundation thread for forming the welt, means for presenting the additional thread to the cvlinder needles, at the second cylinder cams for the formation of the outer wall of the welt, means for d )ressing the first advancing cam for the ornmtion of the inner wall of the welt on the d al needles, and means for giving the first and second advancing cams of the cylinder their adjustments independently, substantially described.

9. In combination in a rib knitting machine with cylinder and dial needles, a single main thread feed for ribbing, an extra thread feed for Welting, means for welting on the dial and cylinder needles to make a double wall welt, means for throwing the extra thread feed in or out, and means for making a clearing course, said extra thread being fed to the cylinder needles to show on the outside of the fabric without turning the same, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a knitting machine, an advancing and a retracting cam for making a clearing course, an additional thread feed, inechanism for throwing the said feed into and out of working position,

and a connection from said mechanism for adjusting the saidi retracting cam when the additional thread S thrown into work, said cam, in its adjus (1 position, serving as a stitch cam for the additional thread, sub stantially as described.

11. In a latch needle rib knitting ma chine, dial needles, cylinder needles, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, a stitch cam and an advancing cam for the dial needles, a stitch cam and an advancing cam for the cylinder needles, a second advancing and a second retracting cam for the cylinder needles, said second advancing cam being normally depressed during rib knitting with the main thread, means for ad vancing said cam for clearing the cylinder needles, means for lowering the first advancing cam for the formation of the nG/lt on the dial needles with the main thread. means for operating the additional feed for presenting the additional thread to the cyl inder needles at the clearing course cam, said clearing course cam causing the cylinder needles to take the threadfrom the additional feed for the formation of the outer wall of the welt on the cylinder needles, and a connection from the additional thread-operating means for depressing the second retracting cam simultaneously with the intro duction of the additional thread to draw stitches from the said additional thread on the cylinder needles, substantially as de scribed.

12. In a latch needle rib knitting machine, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, dial cams consisting of a stitch cam and an advancing cam at the main feed. an advancing and stitch cam in the cylinder adjacent those of the dial for making rib fabric with the main thread, a second advancing cam and a second stitch cam in the cylinder at the additional thread feed opposite the Point in the dial here there is no advancing and stitch cam for the addi' tional thread feed, and controlling means for throwing the additional feed into operation to make a welt on the cylinder and for throwing out of operation the first advancing cam of the cylinder for making a welt on the dial needles, substantially as described.

13. In a latch needle rib knitting machine, a main thread feed, an additional thread feed, dial cams consisting of a stitch cam and an advancing cam at the main feed, an advancing and stitch cam in the cylinder adjacent those of the dial for making rib fabric with the main thread, a second advancing cam and a second stitch cam in the cylinder at the additional thread feed oping cam of the cylinder for making a welt on the dial needles, said firstadvancing cylinder cam being moved step by step, substantially as described.

v as described.

inder needles and for the formation of stitches on said cylinder needles for one wall of the tubular welt, and means for placing the first advancing cam out of action for the formation of the-other wall of the tubular welt on the dial needles, substantially In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. WILDMAN. GEORGE L. BALLARD. Witnesses:

ISABEL G. RALSTON, E. R. Ronnn'rs. 

